Not your average action movie!

Rating: Null/10 (16 August 2005)

Michael Bay's "The Island" seemed to be everything you'd expect from your average, typical, Hollywood type summer blockbuster the attractive actors, in this case, Scarlett Johansson and Ewan McGregor; a hell of a lot of over-the-top action and a seemingly incoherent plot Definitely your typical cheesy-type popcorn blockbuster! But, is that really all there is to this movie?
Set in the not-so-far future, the year 2019, the world, as we know it, has apparently been contaminated and all the survivors are kept in a carefully controlled, contamination-free environment. The only thing keeping any of them going is the idea that they maybe chosen to be sent to "The Island", the last contamination free zone on the planet. Lincoln Six-Echo (McGregor) questions his existence, and rightly so, as he discovers that they're all actually human clones, and he escapes taking his best friend Jordan Two-Delta (Johansson) with him, and they run for their lives as they are pursued by the scientists behind their existence.
Compared to other not-so-great Michael Bay movies such as "Armageddon" (you can't get a more typical Hollywood summer blockbuster!) and "Pearl Harbor" (ok, I wouldn't really call that your typical action movie, but it's definitely typically Hollywood!), "The Island" is actually quite good.
For one, they seemed to put more effort into the story. Yes it is set in the future, but only 14 years ahead so they could have some futuristic elements (some awesome looking trains and your expected advanced technology) but it was nicely mixed with the present day, so it wasn't too far detached from the world as we know it, which made the whole prospect seem a lot more real and actually quite unsettling. And they threw some interesting thoughts of morality in them, which helps edge the film towards being thought provoking!
The cast do well in their parts. Better than expected, as I never really expect anything from actors in action movies. But it does help that you have a cast that have proved to actually be able to act slightly better than your average actor. McGregor and Johansson had the chemistry needed, and they definitely could hold the film. But the supporting cast definitely stood out too. Steve Buscemi was great at giving the comic relief needed; Sean Bean was extremely convincing as the sinister scientist behind it all, and Djimon Hounsou brings some unexpected depth to his character, the guy hunting the clones. In fact, all the cast bring some depth to their characters, which I found unexpected and refreshing to see in an action movie.
The action was your usual over-the-top action; car chases, explosions, and stunts you can't believe anyone survives. It's nothing you haven't seen before, and these were the parts in which the movie dragged and definitely helped make it your average action movie.
So, for once, it was the story and the cast that made the movie more interesting and not a complete waste of your time! I'd say see it if you're a big fan of the action, and if you like sci-fi.. or if you'd just like to see an above average action movie!